Rajasthan’s Khichan, Menar New Ramsar Sites; India’s Tally Rises to 91

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has added Khichan and Menar wetlands in Rajasthan to the Ramsar sites in india. With the addition of these two sites, the total number of Indian wetlands as Ramsar sites stands at 91.

India, with 91 sites, has the largest number of Ramsar Wetland Sites in Asia.

This information was provided by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on his social media platform on 4 June 2025, the eve of World Environment Day.

Every year, the 5th of June is observed as World Environment Day.

Menar Wetland Complex 

Location- Spread over the Menar and Kheroda villages in Vallabhnagar taluka, Udaipur District of Rajasthan.

Area- 463.414 hectares

• It is a freshwater monsoon wetland formed by the Braham, Dhand and Kherodo ponds. 
• During the monsoon, the agricultural land adjacent to these ponds is flooded.
• It becomes the habitat for 110 species of waterbirds, including 67 migratory birds. 
• Critically endangered white-rumped vultures and long-billed vultures are found here. 

Khichan Wetland site 

Location - Spread over the Phalodi and Jodhpur Districts of Rajasthan.

Area- 54.187 hectares

• It is a desert wetland in the Northern Thar Desert formed by the Ratri River and Vijaysagar Pond.
• It is a habitat for over 150 bird species.
• During the winter season, it hosts migratory demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo),

Wetlands and the Ramsar Convention 

Wetlands are land areas that are covered with water or are covered with water for at least some part of the year. They are also called swamps or marshes.

Home to a diverse ecosystem, wetlands play an important role in mitigating floods, protecting coastal areas from storms, recharging groundwater aquifers, improving water quality, and serving as carbon sinks and sources of food and goods for humans.

Ramsar Convention

• An international conference was held in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 to protect these ecologically important areas. 
• The participating countries agreed on a set of measures to conserve these wetlands, which is known as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
• Member countries can declare wetlands as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, following a set of guidelines and criteria.

Ramsar Convention and India

• India joined the Ramsar Convention by ratifying it on 1 February 1982.
• First Indian wetland sites- Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park and Odisha’s Chilika Lake in 1981.
• Tamil Nadu has a maximum of 20 sites.

• Largest Ramsar site: Sunderban of West Bengal (423,000 hectares). Declared Ramsar Site in 2019.
• Smallest Ramsar: Renuka in Himachal Pradesh (20 hectares).Declared a Ramsar site in 2005.

Also read: Udaipur and Indore included in Wetland Accredited Cities List